Biography

Roberto Alcantar was raised in the South Bay region of San Diego. After graduating from Southwest High School, Roberto attended UC Berkeley where he graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Minor in Public Policy. Roberto studied abroad for one year at the University of Western Australia in Perth, Australia for a year and studied Aboriginal Culture. Roberto was recruited into the U.S. Department of State where he served at the U.S. Consulate in Perth and worked directly with then U.S. Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice, during her last visit to Australia.

While working in the State Department, Roberto worked on Foreign Policy issues regarding the East Asia Pacific region, led research on strategic use of natural resources and developed outstanding relationships with local Governments abroad. His travels have taken him to the Asia Pacific region. After college Roberto moved back to San Diego and worked on a project funded by the Department of Justice to battle Human Trafficking in San Diego County and continues to be an active anti Human Trafficking advocate. He has also worked in Higher Education. Roberto also spent time at Feeding America San Diego and developed an Advocacy strategy for his organization, which included taking Community Organizations to Sacramento to advocate for Hunger issues during Hunger Action Day.

Roberto currently serves as a Field Representative for Senator Marty Block in the 39th Senate District which represents the Cities of San Diego, Coronado and Solana Beach. Roberto serves as Senator Block's point person in the district on labor issues, public safety, transportation, K-12 education and international trade. Roberto currently serves on the executive board of the San Diego County Young Democrats and is an elected member of the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee. Roberto is a 2012 Leadership Institute Fellow. He was elected to the San Diego County Democratic Party Central Committee in 2012, has served as the Director of Administration for the San Diego County Democratic Party and currently serves as a Political Director for the San Diego County Young Democrats. Roberto has worked on many local campaigns and has knocked on thousands of doors canvassing for Democrats.

Political Beliefs

Political Philosophy

I believe soci­ety should work for every­one, not just some.

I believe gov­ern­ment can and should be a force for good.

I believe in ele­vat­ing every­one to a posi­tion of equal treat­ment, regard­less of class, race, eth­nic­ity, con­science, gender, sex­ual ori­en­ta­tion, gen­der expres­sion, national ori­gin, abil­ity, or his­tory of disenfranchisement.

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My Top 3 Priorities

Provide a voice for progressive working San Diegans to the Democratic Party

To ensure the Democratic Party prioritizes addressing income inequality

To ensure that the Democratic Party is reflective of the Global Majority

Experience

Biography

Sandy Naranjo is currently an Organizer at the United Food and Commercial Workers Local 135, a union that represents workers in retail, food, meat, drug stores, packinghouses, pharmacies and laboratories in both San Diego and Imperial Counties. Sandy is responsible for improving the lives of working women and men by developing the workers into effective leaders and organizing them into the union.

Prior to her job with UFCW, she previously worked as a field organizer for the San Diego and Imperial Counties Labor Council, AFL-CIO where she worked to enhance the labor movement by connecting organized labor with the broader community through campaigns and activities such as We Deserve Better, A Better San Diego breakfast series, May Day, Occupy Labor Solidarity and Anti-Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement forums. Her experience in union organizing developed through her internship as an organizer with Service Employees International Union Local 99, United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1167, and with the Organization United for Respect at Walmart (OURWALMART).

Sandy earned three bachelor degrees in Political Science, Economics, and Political Economy with a minor certificate in Women’s Studies at California State University San Bernardino. Sandy was an active student heavily involved with Feminist causes by raising awareness on reproductive rights, equal pay, and domestic violence. She was also an active member on the Coyote Debate team where she competed in British Parliamentary debate tournaments in Bangkok, Thailand, Antalya, Turkey, Melbourne, Australia, Denver, Colorado, Ithaca, New York, and Portland, Oregon. She was also on the Model United Nations team where she and her team competed and won the Outstanding Delegation for two consecutive years.

One of Sandy’s defining activist moments was organizing a mock-same-sex wedding at her high school. Along with her colleagues from the Gay Straight Alliance, they wanted to highlight the need to legalize same-sex marriage. Despite much criticism, and protest from the local elected officials, churches, and the community, Sandy and her allies were able to garner support from LGBT national organizations and they successfully changed history in their town.

Sandy’s passion for social justice was ingrained in her since birth. She was raised by parents who immigrated to the United States and like many other immigrants faced harsh racism and classism. Her father Joseph A. Naranjo was an Ironworker who taught Sandy into believing that the wedge between poverty and a good life for working people are unions. She owes her union activism and passion to her father